That's cool, but not surprising. WEG made up a good chunk of EU that was used for source material for the early 90's EU novels. I'd bet they even made up the name Hem Dazon and word Arcona too.

Personally the thing I love the most about the WEG run over WotC is the OT did not have to give up any ground to the Prequels because it didn't exist yet!! All OT all the time. And the sparingly distributed EU is also great.

As a kid I got the Sears "General Veers" version. The card was plain black and the bubble was soft. As I always saved the card backs, I remember I made believe that the black card was actually a portrait of Veers using his powers of invisibility.

For me the RotS version is the modern update for take apart Threeps. I know he is not as screen accurate the one chosen here and doesn't come with a bag, but he does have a few things going for him. He is electroplated like the vintage, his legs are all gold like the vintage and he has nicer proportions than the PotF2 version.

As a kid, I had both versions. My take apart version, faded to be more silver so I used him more as U-3PO or E-3PO and used the original as Threepio. Pretty much though as a kid I was not a big fan of Threeps, he was the tag along nerdy cousin of the Rebels that they had to bring along because mom said so.

My wife's mother is Armenian and in the Armenian tradition to celebrate our daughter's first tooth we had an Agra Hadig party. And because I'm a big Star Wars fan we also had a Star Wars Agra Hadig too.

The baby is surrounded by a group of objects, covered with a scarf, and sprinkled with hadig (quinoa barley-because it looks like baby teeth).

Everyone then watches carefully to see what object she selects, as that object will predict her future career. My daughter was surrounded by a pen (writer), a tube of paint (artist), a whisk (chef), a ruler (architect), hammer (building trades), thermometer (medicine), lipstick (fashion), money (finance or just plain wealthy), book (scholar or teacher). She touched the book, looked at the money, but ultimately picked up the whisk. So Grandma said she would be a chef.

I applied these same principles and chose a group of Star Wars objects that was laid out immeditely afterwards. Interactive R2-D2 (mechanic), C-3PO Medicom RAH (languages), an Ertl vacumn formed Cantina (restauranteur), Death Star Pop-Up book (scholar), miniature 2-1B w/Bacta Tank (medicine), Star Wars Soundtrack LP (music), Star Wars read along book & cassette (writer/story teller), Hasbro 12" Zuckuss (professional), Marmit TIE Fighter Pilot (Pilot), Lego Stormtrooper (customized by wife in Pink deco- Fashion), Kubrick Yoda (teacher/philosopher), the Star Wars decoed Monopoly money from a Star Wars Monopoly game (finance or just plain wealthy). I could have kept piling the stuff on all day but my wife requested I keep it to 12. And following the tradition of the baby grabbing the shiny object closest to the right hand she chose C-3PO, which I swiftly snatched away lest she snap him. Then she went for the cantina. My prediction a French restranteur/chef!Then we had cake!

It would be better if they sold the miniatures with the paintjob spotted in their catalog.

I find hard that a fan could reach that level of painting, only if he is an artist (graphic designer, painter, sculptor)

Well I just finished the Han Solo and having never painted a miniature before, I found it surprisingly easy to do a pretty good job. It was basically paint by number. The miniature paint companies make it so easy with the premixed color. It's just a matter of patience, but you just have to follow the steps and it comes together. Prime, base coat, wash, dry brush. Plenty of free tutorial guides online too.